حق فشاند آن نور را بر جانها ** مقبلان برداشته دامانها760
God hath scattered that light over (all) spirits, (but only) the fortunate have held up their skirts (to receive it);
و آن نثار نور را وایافته ** روی از غیر خدا بر تافته
And he (that is fortunate), having gained that strown largesse of light, has turned his face away from all except God.
هر که را دامان عشقی نابده ** ز آن نثار نور بی‌‌بهره شده
Whosoever has lacked (such) a skirt of love is left without share in that strown largesse of light.
جزوها را رویها سوی کل است ** بلبلان را عشق با روی گل است
The faces of particulars are set towards the universal: nightingales are in love with the face of the rose.
گاو را رنگ از برون و مرد را ** از درون جو رنگ سرخ و زرد را
The ox has his colour outside, but in the case of a man seek the red and yellow hues within.
رنگهای نیک از خم صفاست ** رنگ زشتان از سیاه‌‌آبه‌‌ی جفاست765
The good colours are from the vat of purity; the colour of the wicked is from the black water of iniquity.
صبغة الله نام آن رنگ لطیف ** لعنة الله بوی این رنگ کثیف
The baptism of God is the name of that subtle colour; the curse of God is the smell of this gross colour.
آن چه از دریا به دریا می‌‌رود ** از همانجا کامد آن جا می‌‌رود
That which is of the sea is going to the sea: it is going to the same place whence it came—
از سر که سیلهای تیز رو ** وز تن ما جان عشق آمیز رو
From the mountain-top the swift-rushing torrents, and from our body the soul whose motion is mingled with love.
آتش کردن پادشاه جهود و بت نهادن پهلوی آتش که هر که این بت را سجود کند از آتش برست
How the Jewish king made a fire and placed an idol beside it, saying, “Whoever bows down to this idol shall escape the fire.”
آن جهود سگ ببین چه رای کرد ** پهلوی آتش بتی بر پای کرد
Now see what a plan this currish Jew contrived! He set up an idol beside the fire,
کان که این بت را سجود آرد برست ** ور نیارد در دل آتش نشست770
Saying, “He that bows down to this idol is saved, and if he bow not, he shall sit in the heart of the fire.”
چون سزای این بت نفس او نداد ** از بت نفسش بتی دیگر بزاد
Inasmuch as he did not give due punishment to this idol of self, from the idol of his self the other idol was born.
مادر بتها بت نفس شماست ** ز آن که آن بت مار و این بت اژدهاست
The idol of your self is the mother of (all) idols, because that (material) idol is (only) a snake, while this (spiritual) idol is a dragon.
آهن و سنگ است نفس و بت شرار ** آن شرار از آب می‌‌گیرد قرار
The self is (as) iron and stone (whence fire is produced), while the (material) idol is (as) the sparks: those sparks are quieted (quenched) by water.
سنگ و آهن ز آب کی ساکن‌‌شود ** آدمی با این دو کی ایمن شود
(But) how should the stone and iron be allayed by water? How should a man, having these twain, be secure?
بت سیاه‌‌آبه‌‌ست در کوزه نهان ** نفس مر آب سیه را چشمه دان775
The idol is the black water hidden in the jug; know that the self is the fountain.
آن بت منحوت چون سیل سیاه ** نفس بتگر چشمه‌‌ای بر آب راه
That sculptured idol is like the black torrent; the idol-making self is a fountain (jetting muddy water) on the Water-way (the Way that leads to the Water of Life).
صد سبو را بشکند یک پاره سنگ ** و آب چشمه می‌‌زهاند بی‌‌درنگ
A single piece of stone will break a hundred pitchers, but the fountain-water is making jets incessantly.
بت شکستن سهل باشد نیک سهل ** سهل دیدن نفس را جهل است جهل
’Tis easy to break an idol, very easy; to regard the self as easy (to subdue) is folly, folly.
صورت نفس ار بجویی ای پسر ** قصه‌‌ی دوزخ بخوان با هفت در
O son, if you seek (to know) the form of the self, read the story of Hell with its seven gates.
هر نفس مکری و در هر مکر ز آن ** غرقه صد فرعون با فرعونیان780
Every moment (there proceeds from the self) an act of deceit, and in every one of those deceits a hundred Pharaohs are drowned together with their followers.
در خدای موسی و موسی گریز ** آب ایمان را ز فرعونی مریز
Flee to the God of Moses and to Moses, do not from Pharaoh's quality (rebellious insolence) spill the water of the Faith.
دست را اندر احد و احمد بزن ** ای برادر واره از بو جهل تن
Lay your hand on (cleave to) the One (God) and Ahmad (Mohammed)! O brother, escape from the Bú Jahl of the body!
به سخن آمدن طفل در میان آتش و تحریض کردن خلق را در افتادن به آتش
How a child began to speak amidst the fire and urged the people to throw themselves into the fire.
یک زنی با طفل آورد آن جهود ** پیش آن بت و آتش اندر شعله بود
That Jew brought to that idol a woman with her child, and the fire was blazing.
طفل از او بستد در آتش در فکند ** زن بترسید و دل از ایمان بکند
He took the child from her and cast it into the fire: the woman was affrighted and withdrew her heart from (abandoned) her faith.
خواست تا او سجده آرد پیش بت ** بانگ زد آن طفل إنی لم أمت785
She was about to bow down before the idol (when) the child cried, “Verily, I am not dead.
اندر آ ای مادر اینجا من خوشم ** گر چه در صورت میان آتشم
Come in, O mother: I am happy here, although in appearance I am amidst the fire.
چشم بند است آتش از بهر حجاب ** رحمت است این سر بر آورده ز جیب
The fire is a spell that binds the eye for the sake of screening (the truth); this is (in reality) a Divine mercy which has raised its head from the collar (has been manifested from the Unseen).
اندر آ مادر ببین برهان حق ** تا ببینی عشرت خاصان حق
Come in, mother, and see the evidence of God, that thou mayst behold the delight of God's elect.
اندر آ و آب بین آتش مثال ** از جهانی کاتش است آبش مثال
Come in, and see water that has the semblance of fire; (come away) from a world which is (really) fire and (only) has the semblance of water.
اندر آ اسرار ابراهیم بین ** کاو در آتش یافت سرو و یاسمین790
Come in, and see the mysteries of Abraham, who in the fire found cypress and jessamine.
مرگ می‌‌دیدم گه زادن ز تو ** سخت خوفم بود افتادن ز تو
I was seeing death at the time of birth from thee: sore was my dread of falling from thee;
چون بزادم رستم از زندان تنگ ** در جهان خوش هوای خوب رنگ
(But) when I was born, I escaped from the narrow prison (of the womb) into a world of pleasant air and beautiful colour.
من جهان را چون رحم دیدم کنون ** چون در این آتش بدیدم این سکون
Now I deem the (earthly) world to be like the womb, since in this fire I have seen such rest:
اندر این آتش بدیدم عالمی ** ذره ذره اندر او عیسی دمی
In this fire I have seen a world wherein every atom possesses the (life-giving) breath of Jesus.
نک جهان نیست شکل هست ذات ** و آن جهان هست شکل بی‌‌ثبات795
Lo, (it is) a world apparently non-existent (but) essentially existent, while that (other) world is apparently existent (but) has no permanence.
اندر آ مادر به حق مادری ** بین که این آذر ندارد آذری
Come in, mother, (I beseech thee) by the right of motherhood: see this fire, how it hath no fieriness.
اندر آ مادر که اقبال آمده ست ** اندر آ مادر مده دولت ز دست
Come in, mother, for felicity is come; come in, mother, do not let fortune slip from thy hand.
قدرت آن سگ بدیدی اندر آ ** تا ببینی قدرت و لطف خدا
Thou hast seen the power of that (Jewish) cur: come in, that thou mayst see the power and the grace of God.
من ز رحمت می‌‌کشانم پای تو ** کز طرب خود نیستم پروای تو
’Tis (only) out of pity that I am drawing thy feet (hither), for indeed such is my rapture that I have no care for thee.
اندر آ و دیگران را هم بخوان ** کاندر آتش شاه بنهاده ست خوان800
Come in and call the others also, for the King has spread a (festal) table within the fire.
اندر آیید ای مسلمانان همه ** غیر عذب دین عذاب است آن همه
O true believers, come in, all of you: except the sweetness (‘adhbí) of (the true) religion all is torment (‘adháb).
اندر آیید ای همه پروانه‌‌وار ** اندر این بهره که دارد صد بهار
Oh, come in, all of you, like moths; (come) into this fortune which hath a hundred springtimes.”
بانگ می‌‌زد در میان آن گروه ** پر همی‌‌شد جان خلقان از شکوه
(Thus) he was crying amidst that multitude: the souls of the people were filled with awe.
خلق خود را بعد از آن بی‌‌خویشتن ** می‌‌فگندند اندر آتش مرد و زن
After that, the folk, men and women (alike), cast themselves unwittingly into the fire—
بی‌‌موکل بی‌‌کشش از عشق دوست ** ز آن که شیرین کردن هر تلخ از اوست805
Without custodian, without being dragged, for love of the Friend, because from Him is the sweetening of every bitterness—
تا چنان شد کان عوانان خلق را ** منع می‌‌کردند کاتش در میا
Until it came to pass that the (king's) myrmidons were holding back the people, saying, “Do not enter the fire!”
آن یهودی شد سیه رو و خجل ** شد پشیمان زین سبب بیمار دل
The Jew became black-faced (covered with shame) and dismayed; he became sorry and sick at heart,
کاندر ایمان خلق عاشق‌‌تر شدند ** در فنای جسم صادق‌‌تر شدند
Because the people grew more loving (ardent) in their Faith and more firm in mortification (faná) of the body.
مکر شیطان هم در او پیچید شکر ** دیو هم خود را سیه رو دید شکر
Thanks (be to God), the Devil's plot caught him in its toils; thanks (be to God), the Devil saw himself disgraced.